title: Promoters of and barriers to cervical cancer screening in a rural setting in Tanzania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate promoters and barriers for cervical cancer screening in rural Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 300 women of reproductive age living in Kiwangwa village, Tanzania. The odds of attending a free, 2-day screening service were compared with sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors, and knowledge and attitudes surrounding cervical cancer using multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with women who did not attend the screening service (n=195), women who attended (n=105) were older (OR 4.29; 95% CI, 1.61-11.48, age 40-49years versus 20-29years), listened regularly to the radio (OR 24.76; 95% CI, 11.49-53.33, listened to radio 1-3 times per week versus not at all), had a poorer quality of life (OR 4.91; CI, 1.96-12.32, lowest versus highest score), had faced cost barriers to obtaining health care in the preceding year (OR 2.24; 95% CI, 1.11-4.53, yes versus no), and held a more positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 1.39-15.55, least versus most averse).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts aimed at improving screening rates in rural Tanzania need to address both structural and individual-level barriers, including knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention, cost barriers to care, and access to health information.
authors.affiliation: Center for Global Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: Powell
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Perng
authors.forename: Twalib
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ngoma
authors.forename: Crispin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kahesa
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mwaiselage
authors.forename: Sofia D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Merajver
authors.forename: Amr S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Soliman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011845:Radio / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Barriers; Cervical cancer; Low-income countries; Rural; Screening